CFP: Signposts of Fictionality (3/10/07; MLA '07)

Discussions solicited of linguistic or other conventional means used toindicate that a stretch of discourse is fictional. Discussion of suchmarkers can also address how they can be defeated and otherwiseexploited by narrative writers, obviously: the working assumption willbe that there is no device that, of itself, GUARANTEES the fictionalstatus of the discourse in which it appears. ...Or perhaps there is?Since this question stands at the frontier of current research, it needsa thorough discussion. Inaugurating one is the goal of the panel.Proposals mixing generalities with multiple examples will be preferred.Critiques of previous treatments are also pertinent.

Proposals (300-500 words) by 10 March. A short CV or the equivalentwill be helpful, too, but what I really need to know is whether you arean MLA member. This is a confimed session, under the auspices of anaffiliated organization.

David GormanDepartment of EnglishNorthern Illiunois Universitydgorman_at_niu.edu